Johnson receives prestigious law award

BLACK LAW ­STUDENTS GRADS GATHER—Members of the student law organization gathered at a graduation reception at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center. Shown in the front row, from left: Simoné Delerme, BLSA vice president; ­Jessica Ebert; and Stephanie Johnson. Back row from left: John Woodruff, BLSA president; Olanrewaju Kukoyi; Danielle Wete; and Finn Skovdal.

Stephanie Johnson, a Wilkinsburg resident, received the prestigious American Law Institute-American Bar Association Scholarship and Leadership Award from the Duquesne University School of Law. The award, based on recommendation of the entire School of Law faculty, recognizes a graduating law student who best represents a combination of scholarship and leadership embodied by the ALI and ABA.

Law School Dean Ken Gormley presented Johnson with the award citation at an awards presentation.

Johnson served as convention coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Black Law Students Association’s annual gathering held in Pittsburgh in February of this year. She was vice president of the Black Law Students Association at Du­quesne 2011-2012 and a senator in the Student Bar Association from 2010-2012. This year she also served as a Duquesne University School of Law ambassador.

STEPHANIE JOHNSON

Johnson has worked in Duquesne University’s law clinics and externship programs, including most recently serving in the Alle­gheny County District Attor­ney’s Office. As a Schweitzer Fellowship recipient, she was a housing counselor for ACTION Housing in Pittsburgh. This past summer she assisted the American Civil Liberties Union in conducting research related to Pennsylvania voter ID legislation.

A native of Atlanta, Johnson completed her undergraduate degree in business administration at Georgia Southern University in 2009.

The Black Law Students Association at Duquesne University School of Law fosters professional development of its members, provides academic support to first-year students, and encourages service to the needs of the African-American community. For more information on BLSA and Duquesne Law, visit www.duq.edu/law.

Founded in 1878, Du­quesne is consistently ranked among the nation’s top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. Duquesne, a campus of more than 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, has been nationally recognized for its academic programs, community service and commitment to sustainability.